CITIZEN SATISFACTION WITH POLICE SERVICES - INDIVIDUAL AND CONTEXTUAL EFFECTS

• NCJ Number: 61081
• Journal: Policy Studies Journal Volume: 7 Dated: SPECIAL ISSUE (1978) Pages: 469-479
• Date Published: 1978
• Author(s): W G Skogan
• Length: 11 pages
• Grant Number(s): 75-NI-99-0130
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)

Annotation

AN ANALYTIC MODEL FOR EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF VARIATIONS IN POLICE POLICIES AND PERFORMANCE ON CITIZEN SATISFACTION WITH POLICE SERVICES IS BRIEFLY SKETCHED.

Abstract

IN THE STUDY REPORTED, SPECIFIC POLICE JURISDICTIONAL POLICIES AND PRACTICES WHICH MIGHT ACCOUNT FOR VARIATIONS IN CITIZEN SATISFACTION ARE ACCOUNTED FOR AS DUMMY VARIABLES REFLECTING DIVERGENCES IN CITIZEN SATISFACTION IN THE COMMUNITIES REPRESENTED IN THE DATA SET. DATA FOR THE PROJECT WERE COLLECTED BY THE CENSUS BUREAU IN 1975 SURVEYS OF THE RESIDENTS OF 13 LARGE CENTRAL CITIES. IN THOSE SURVEYS, INDIVIDUALS 16 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER WERE QUIZZED ABOUT THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF CRIME AND THE POLICE, ALONG WITH THEIR EXPERIENCES AS CRIME VICTIMS. RESULTS SHOWED THAT POLARIZATION BETWEEN WHITE AND BLACKS OVER ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE DIFFERS FROM CITY TO CITY. FOR EXAMPLE, TO BE BLACK AND LIVE IN CLEVELAND MEANS TO SHARE WITH WHITES PERCEPTIONS OF LOW-LEVELS OF SERVICE. IN CHICAGO, LOS ANGELES, AND PHILADELPHIA, ON THE OTHER HAND, BLACKS PERCEIVE RELATIVELY LOW-LEVELS OF POLICE SERVICE WHILE WHITES ARE SATISFIED WITH WHAT THEY RECEIVE. THIS SUGGESTS THAT THERE IS AN INTERACTION OF SOME IMPORTANCE BETWEEN POLICE SERVICES DELIVERED IN PARTICULAR CITIES AND THE RACES IN THOSE CITIES. IN SOME CITIES, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEPTIONS OF NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY AND EVALUATIONS OF THE POLICE ARE MODERATELY CORRELATED. THE RESEARCH FINDINGS RAISE THE ISSUE OF WHAT POLICE POLICIES EXPLAIN VARIATIONS IN PERCEPTIONS OF SERVICE BETWEEN RACES AND NEIGHBORHOODS IN PARTICULAR CITIES. THE CITY TERMS USED IN THE PRESENT STUDY SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH INDICATORS OF POLICY AND PERFORMANCE (HIRING PRACTICES, RESPONSE TIMES, ETC.). IT WOULD THEN BE POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE WHICH POLICIES ELICIT OR DAMPEN CITIZEN SATISFACTION WITH POLICE PERFORMANCE. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)